View Full Version : Pants on the trail, pants on the trail...
Double Wide
10-28-2012, 19:14
Gotta question for you experienced hikers out there.
I plan on leaving in early-to-mid March. Now, for summertime, I plan on wearing a synthetic t-shirt and shorts every day (will wear compression shorts for undies--I've found that going commando isn't for me, at least in the hottest months). But for the early part of the trip, I'm wondering what seems to work the best as far as clothes for the lower half. Gonna still wear compression shorts as the base layer, but beyond that I'm thinking of convertible pants on the outside.
But when it's good and cold, what do y'all do? Long johns? Long Capilene pants? Fleece pants with something else on the outside? I don't want to carry *too* many clothes, and while it's easy to layer the upper body, I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do from the waist down.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Mountain Mike
10-28-2012, 19:19
Light weight long johns & rain pants can fill a wide variation of temps. Or if warm enough just rain pants for cold days & in camp to keep warm.
Stir Fry
10-28-2012, 20:04
I wear a Kilt and when the temp go low or in camp I use long johns They seem to work into the low 20s. I have not been lower then that so cant say.
A pair of convertible nylon pants is all I've ever needed. If it's really cold I keep moving when on the trail (no long breaks) and put on rain pants for an extra layer when sitting around camp.
When the temps are lower than 40* i wear compression shorts and on top of that i wear running shorts. I have long wool socks that i pull up when i stop. i found i can not wear pants when hiking due to excessive heating around my nethers. however, i do keep long johns handy at the top of the pack along with rain gear should i stop for longer durations. it ultimately comes down to comfort and tolerance. i prefer colder temps.
rusty bumper
10-28-2012, 20:36
Convertible pants all the way for me....legs in the morning at the start in the south and at the finish in the north...also during some of cool evenings elsewhere. Lightweight long johns for the cold mornings and evenings in April in the south, and August/September in the north....I sent them home for the summer months. I carried rain pants all the way...I wore them on occasion during heavy rains and just a few times for warmth.
Old Hiker
10-28-2012, 20:59
A pair of convertible nylon pants is all I've ever needed. If it's really cold I keep moving when on the trail (no long breaks) and put on rain pants for an extra layer when sitting around camp.
Awwwww, ya beat me to it. Same here - I didn't even unzip them during the hot days - just opened up the knee. I had some dri-duck type pants until Hot Springs, where they finally gave up the ghost. No zips, no vents, hard to get on and off. The rain pants I bought at the outfitter (full price!) have zips from waist to ankle - easy on, easy off. They helped cut the wind quite a bit.
Another Kevin
10-28-2012, 21:19
Since I'm just a clueless weekender, you'll hear enough pants from me going up the steep grades.
Oh, you mean the pants you wear. Sorry, I'll let someone who isn't clueless give advice.
Slo-go'en
10-28-2012, 21:49
I only use long johns in camp - too hot to hike in. I'm a long pants all the time, unless it's ungodly hot. Long pants protects you from all kinds of stuff - bugs, stinging nettles, poison ivy assorted brush on overgrown trails, mud etc.
The thing I don't understand is why woman put up with shorts which are so short. I'm not complaining that they do, but it does seems short shorts aren't all that practical, especially on the trail. Even woman's converta pants convert into shorts which are much shorter than mens.
The thing I don't understand is why woman put up with shorts which are so short. I'm not complaining that they do, but it does seems short shorts aren't all that practical, especially on the trail. Even woman's converta pants convert into shorts which are much shorter than mens.
It's almost impossible to find long shorts (knee length, or a little above) in women's sizes, so if you need a woman's size because of the fit issues, you're probably stuck with something very short whether you want it or not. I know this because of a long and fruitless search. I eventually switched to men's shorts, and realized they're better made and more practical in a lot of other ways, too.
What do you when it's real cold and all you have is convertable pants? You suffer. That's what I do.
garlic08
10-29-2012, 08:56
What do you when it's real cold and all you have is convertable pants? You suffer. That's what I do.
For a three season thru hike, I agree with the single pair of trousers. For winter trips, I'll add long johns, but I don't think it's worth carrying them on an AT hike. At least I didn't carry them on an AT hike and I agree with Moldy that it's more about comfort. I don't think much heat is lost through the legs, so I concentrate on insulating the body core and the head. I do carry rain pants in all but the warmest summer months and those help when it's really storming.
By the way, I wear long trousers all summer, too, for sun, bug, and poison ivy protection. In recent years I've seen a curious phenomenon where convertible pants are getting cheaper than regular trousers (supply and demand, I guess) so I wear them, but I don't really like the extra zippers.
swjohnsey
10-29-2012, 10:30
The only long pants I hike with most of the time are my wind/rain shell pants. When it gets really cold I have some 100wt fleece pants.
The only long pants I hike with most of the time are my wind/rain shell pants. When it gets really cold I have some 100wt fleece pants.
What do those fleece pants weigh? I've never worn long pants but I've been eyeing Railriders with Insect-Shield, which are nylon @ 11 oz.
Kerosene
10-29-2012, 11:34
Fleece pants will be relatively heavy (> 12 oz), and do not compress very well. If you think you really need that additional warmth (which I do not until it gets well below freezing), then I'd look at lightweight down pants.
swjohnsey
10-29-2012, 12:18
What do those fleece pants weigh? I've never worn long pants but I've been eyeing Railriders with Insect-Shield, which are nylon @ 11 oz.
They weigh 267g/9 oz. They also serve as additional warmth for my sleeping bag (35 degree). They came in handy the first month as it got down into the teens with about a foot of snow on Rhoan Mountain. I sent 'em home along with 100 wt top, balacava, mittens at Damascus and didn't need them again. Went from Damascus to Katahdin with my wind/rain shell as my only cold weather gear.
Prime Time
10-29-2012, 15:32
I almost always hike in shorts, down to about 35. Below that, I wear a pair of North Face hiking pants made of very stretchy nylon. No binding issues. I hate convertible pants because of the zippers. I also carry ultralight rain pants with boot zippers. My hiking pants double as camp pants. I will bring a pair of no. 1 base layer Capilene pants until I reach Virginia for extra warmth in my bag, or around camp below 30 degrees, then mail them home.